After we reported for departure, Elithia caught a glimpse of my body, which was barely stopping its trembling.
"Are you scared ? " Elithia asked me in a mocking tone.
I looked at her, raising one brow to meet the other.
"Shut up. "
I opened the door, and we walked at the same pace as before. When we reached the site with the corpses and scattered swords, I paused briefly to expand the range of my faint aura, scanning for nearby enemies — until I sensed someone's aura above me.
The moment I sensed him, I raised my sword upward just as he descended, and my sword accidentally stabbed him.
I felt the weight of the man on the blade, causing me to stagger forward. He looked at me, cursing.
"Damn you, lucky bastard. Years of training wasted because of your luck."
I shrugged.
"I agree."
I looked at Elithia and motioned for her to move forward a few steps. I was scared — scared of losing her or dying. I didn't have retries. Death or loss were final.
I heard the sound of clashing swords and magical formations coming from the room ahead.
Elithia and I ran toward the noise, moving through dark corridors stained with blood, until we found Nevin and one of her guards, his body covered in blood, fighting a group of masked intruders.
Wait a second… weren't they working for Nevin ? What the hell ?
As I was thinking, one of the thieves launched a sneaky strike from behind Nevin, who was too focused on the enemies in front of her.
[Side Quest]
"Protect Nevin for the next 20 seconds."
Failure condition : Death.
Damn you, system.
I dashed in, shoving Nevin out of the way, sending her crashing to the side, and raised my sword to block the strike meant for her.
As I blocked attacks from both front and behind, I noticed faint waves circling me.
Nevin was lending a hand.
[Quest Complete]
"You protected Nevin."
+1000 C
Wow. All that just for protecting that girl ? She must be carrying something valuable to earn that kind of reward.
[System Message]
"Everything will be explained in time."
Alright, alright…
I continued fighting. One of the thieves jumped at me, aiming a strike at my head. I blocked with my sword and punched him hard in the face with my other hand.
He collapsed unconscious, while I blew on my sore knuckles.
"Huff… huff… damn, I thought punching wouldn't be that bad."
"What happened to pampered Yuthnir ?"
I looked over at Nevin, who was mocking me while standing atop a pile of defeated enemies.
"Couldn't even handle one of them without my help ?"
What an arrogant woman.
"Haha, are you really denying the help of the one who saved you ? That blow aimed at you was fatal. No escape from that."
Our bickering escalated until Elithia interrupted us.
"And what about me ?"
We turned to find her standing over an even bigger pile than ours.
"Shall we end the debate here ?"
"I agree with you."
I turned to take my first step toward the exit, but Nevin grabbed me by the collar and pulled me toward her.
"Where do you think you're going, Yuthnir ? I want to make a deal with you."
"A deal ?"
"Yes, here's the offer : let's start a business partnership.
You have the brains and the luck. I have the connections and power."
Not bad.
I looked at Nevin, who was brushing her fan against her lips with a provocative look in her eyes.
I don't know why, but I didn't trust her. So, this will stay a professional arrangement — no shady stuff.
"Listen to me."
" ?"
"What's in it for me ?"
Nevin laughed, opening her fan and covering her mouth.
"That the future villain becomes my dog."
I stared at her, feeling my strength drain from the sheer stupidity of the moment.
I turned away.
"I refuse."
"Wait, wait."
I stopped and looked over my shoulder at her.
"I was joking. The real deal is we split the rewards. So, do you accept now ?"
She extended her hand, her eyes sparkling.
Sigh.
I stepped forward and shook it.
"Welcome aboard, partner. Yuthnir, I'm glad to be working with you. I'm Fiol Nevin, descendant of the Violet Demon lineage — known for our overwhelming strength, unlike you humans."
"All I've seen so far is a girl who nearly got herself killed for not expanding her aura."
"Shut up."
"Nice to meet you, Fiol Nevin."
[System Update]
"Nevin has joined your party."
+75 C
That's it ?
"So, Nevin, which way is out ?"
"I'll take you there, Yuthnir. Just don't rush me."
We followed Nevin toward the exit, but I had a hunch she was planning something indirect. I wrote her, after all. I know her better than she knows herself.
When we reached the exit, Nevin looked at me.
"There's the exit, Yuthnir. Now we can leave."
"Yeah."
Funny how our relationship changed after she kidnapped me.
We took our first step into freedom, but it was already nighttime. Streetlights glowed, and the sky was pitch black.
We exited through an alley that opened into the city streets.
"You two go on ahead. I'll follow. Just be careful, Yuthnir. There are people who want to deliver you to the queen by kidnapping you."
Like you didn't already try that.
[System Update]
"You escaped being kidnapped by cooperating with Nevin."
+720 C
+9 rewrite chance.
You're feeling generous today, system.
"-50 C"
I take it back.
I rolled my eyes toward Elithia, who was clearly dozing off.
"Do you want to return to the palace ? You look exhausted."
"I can't walk. I'm too tired today."
"Then where can we stay the night ?"
"A hotel ?" Elithia suggested.
Sigh… "Alright. We'll stay at a hotel. Lead the way."
I followed Elithia to a nearby hotel she had in mind. When we arrived, we stood in front of its glowing sign : "Hotel."
We pushed the door open and found the receptionist at her usual place — a girl playing with strands of her hair.
Elithia and I approached the desk.
"How can I help you two ?"
"Do you have two separate rooms for one night ?"
She looked at me with an expression somewhere between serious and sarcastic.
"Sorry, sir. We only have one room—"
I immediately turned to leave, hand raised and face clearly annoyed.
"We'll sleep outside, Elithia."
"I was joking, sir."
I returned to the receptionist, who was laughing even though her face didn't seem very apologetic.
"Alright, you know what to do — give us the room keys and let us know where we can have dinner."
She handed us the keys and room numbers and directed us to the dining area.
This is going to be tough for someone who only ever left the house when absolutely necessary.